Hollywood icon Harrison Ford will miss the 97th Academy Awards, set for March 3 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, after being diagnosed with shingles. The Star Wars and Indiana Jones legend was slated to present an award at the star-studded event but withdrew following his sudden illness, confirmed by his representative to Variety. According to Entertainment Weekly, Ford fell ill on February 28 and officially bowed out on from being a presenter.
The 82-year-old was last seen stealing the show at the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards. There, he teamed up with Shrinking co-star Jessica Williams for a lively opening skit.
Harrison Ford will no longer present at tomorrow’s #Oscars after being diagnosed with shingles.
(Source: https://t.co/O2ZeYh3WiT) pic.twitter.com/8FzqRyyKLk
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 1, 2025
Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a viral infection caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in the nervous system and can reactivate later in life, triggering shingles. While anyone who’s had chickenpox can develop shingles, it’s most common in adults over 50.
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Presenting this year’s Best Picture nominees:
• Anora
• The Brutalist
• A Complete Unknown
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Emilia Pérez
• I’m Still Here
• Nickel Boys
• The Substance
• WickedWatch the 97th #Oscars LIVE on Sunday, March 2nd, at 7e/4p on ABC and Hulu. pic.twitter.com/LW3ePtHAjj
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 27, 2025
Ford’s absence will be compensated by stars like Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson and Miley Cyrus among others.
Follow along as 97th Oscars host @ConanOBrien goes through the paces of every comedian’s dream: promotional content for ABC.
Watch the #Oscars LIVE on Sunday, March 2nd, at 7e/4p on ABC and Hulu. pic.twitter.com/xKHIj1Wllh
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 25, 2025
The Oscars this year will be hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien. For viewers in India, the ceremony will air live on Jio Hotstar, Star Movies, and Star Movies Select on Monday, March 3, at 5:30 a.m. IST.
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